There is a continuing and growing demand for condensed milk—sometimes referred to as evaporated milk—whether or not that milk is sweetened, and whether or not the condensed milk has zero, low, or ordinary milk fat content. In other words, the condensed milk may be required to have 0% fat content, 2% milk fat content, or a milk fat content in the range of 4.5% to 6%. However, the costs of preparation of condensed milk maybe high, especially if large quantities of condensed milk are to be manufactured.
The ordinary milk solids content of liquid milk is typically about 12% by weight thereof. That may range slightly from, say, 11.5% to 12.5%, but nominally regular liquid milk is considered to have 12% milk solids. Condensed milk, as it is brought to the market, typically has 36% milk solids, by weight. In other words, ordinary milk has been condensed or reduced as to its liquid content by two thirds of its original liquid content. However, typically condensed milk has a different color than ordinary milk, and has a slightly caramelized flavor, as a consequence of the evaporation process to which the milk has been subjected.
There is a requirement to provide condensed milk which has less pronounced color and flavor than is presently available. One attempt to make such provision of condensed milk has been the simple act of mixing dried milk powder—in other words, milk solids—with water. The idea has been to make a mixture of dried milk powder and water which, when mixed, comprises 36% milk solids. However, typically such attempts have failed because milk lactose and milk protein are not very soluble in ordinary water, as it has been obtained from ordinary sources of water such as municipal water supplies or the like, and whether or not it has been treated by special filtering, deionizing, pH adjustment, and so on.
This is not to say, of course, that milk lactose and milk protein are not soluble in water, because very evidently they are as they are found in milk which has been taken from dairy cattle. In other words, the water processing and production of milk that naturally occur within the bovine system provide water that is fully completely compatible with all milk solids, lactose, protein, etc.
Notwithstanding the above statement, the inventor herein has quite unexpectedly discovered that a satisfactory condensed milk product having approximately 36% milk solids and a desired milk fat component maybe manufactured by mixing dried milk powder with liquid milk, which may be either raw milk or which may have been previously pasteurized. That is, manufactured condensed milk is provided which has not been subjected to heat processing except for pasteurization. As a consequence, the manufactured condensed milk of the present invention has a differing flavor and color than ordinary condensed milk. It will be understood, however, that manufactured condensed milk in keeping with the present invention may be altered in its flavor by being slightly sweetened and/or caramelized.
Specifically, the inventor herein has discovered that condensed milk may be manufactured to meet the requirements of the market at relatively low cost compared with the cost of ordinary preparation of condensed milk, wherein the condensed milk has the requisite milk solids content and may have a predetermined milk fat content as required. This is accomplished by recognizing the natural affinity of the water content in milk which has been derived from dairy cattle—i.e., bovine-derived water—for lactose and milk proteins. In other words, the solubility of lactose and milk proteins in bovine-derived water is assured.
A particular feature of the condensed milk which is manufactured in keeping with the present invention is that it does not comprise non-milk additives, and therefore the condensed milk in keeping with the present invention is not considered to be a condensed or evaporated milk substitute.